Manchester voted best live music city

New survey puts us out in front for gigs

MANCHESTER has been voted the best place for live music, according to a new survey.

Copyright collection organisation PRS For Music questioned more than 3,000 people from various cities all over the UK, asking them whether or not they had enough local gigs in their area.

Whilst 77 percent of the participants from Manchester answered ‘yes’, Newcastle weren’t far behind with 76 per cent, Nottingham came third, Lancashire fourth and London in fifth.

At the other end, Derbyshire got the worst results with 71 per cent of their people saying ‘no, we don’t have enough local gigs in our area.’ A few digits behind was Somerset with 65 per cent and Yorkshire with 59 per cent.

PRS For Music spokesman Barry Hooper said: “Local live music gigs are a great way to bring communities together and for people to discover local talent. Manchester has always been a hot contender as the music capital of the UK, but we also thoroughly encourage venues in the surrounding areas, such as Derbyshire, to seek local talent and host more live gigs.”

Only 4 of the 10 'cities' you name are actually cities so I don't think you're comparing like with like on any level. That aside, Manchester's live music scene has been in sad decline for many years. A steep increase in prices coupled with very few opportunities for unsigned or out of town acts to be seen let alone get a gig anywhere is killing the Manchester music scene. Seems to be caused by the monopolization of the live venues by one owner who controls and stifles anything that doesn't immediately turn a huge profit. Leeds is much better but also having problems. Even Huddersfield has a more varied, progressive scene that's always feeding through new, and good, stuff.

FAO 'anonymous'...Whilst I agree that this is a farcical poll based on absolutely nothing but arbitrary opinion, and that Manchester probably wouldn't be as deserving had the research had proper, sound methodology...a) It isn't Manchester Confidential's own piece, it's PRS'b) They only mention cities as this is where they asked people - the results are based on 'areas', so your first point is slightly skewed.

I think we should be really proud of Manchester's live music scene. There's nearly always something interesting on of a nightime and - with regard to Anon - I fail to see how Huddersfield could viably be thought of as more varied or progressive?!

The MEN still gets the headline names, Sankeys and the Warehouse project have consistently excellent line-ups and the smaller promoters (NowWave, Hey Manchester, WotGodForgot etc.) are bringing really exciting stuff into the city several times a week.

"Manchester's live music scene has been in sad decline for many years. A steep increase in prices coupled with very few opportunities for unsigned or out of town acts to be seen let alone get a gig anywhere is killing the Manchester music scene." Anonymous. You sure??? It's better now than for decades. A variety of venues - from Ruby Lounge and the Deaf Institute (two of the best run venues in the country), to individual promoters like Now Wave utilising great spaces like Islington Mill and the Cathedral.

Saus and bacon - wait until you're forty and you see all the bands that you liked in your day coming around and flogging the 20 year anniversary of whichever album was popular when you were in your late teens. Primal Scream are a perfect case in point - far more people want to go and see the old stuff rather than whatever it is they're producing now.